Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) update [Vol. 6, Issue 5 (May 7, 2014)]

Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) Update
Volume 6, Issue No. 5 May 7, 2014

Enhancing services -- common theme across initiatives
Earlier this week, GTA hosted its third annual Technology Summit, this year focused on cultivating a digital enterprise in government. That is, doing business and delivering services in ways suited to today's digital environment.
I was certainly pleased to see such a solid turnout from our state and local government entities. We're all busy, and giving a full day to discussion away from the demands of a regular workday isn't easy for any of us. That so many did Monday means you recognize, as we do, what a significant opportunity exists to enhance citizen access through online services. That's a tangible marker of a digital enterprise. With the help of experts from our summit sponsors and other participating organizations, we examined how to make it real and make it work. See highlights of the day in the digital enterprise summit article in this newsletter. My thanks again to all participants.
Elsewhere, GTA continues to push ahead toward transformation completion in coordination with GETS agencies. We're a hair shy of adding print services upgrade to the several transformation projects already finished (desktop antivirus, server malware, Exchange email and Exchange Active Directory). The laptop encryption effort is more than half finished. File services work is better than 40 percent completed.
The largest balance of transformation work remaining lies in upgrading Novell Active Directory and email environments, and in server consolidation. The Windows 7 upgrade, now counted among transformation projects, is another where the clock ticks loudly and we have work to do. In cases where revised timelines have been drafted for finishing transformation, we've begun meeting with affected agencies to review the schedules. Along with IBM and AT&T, and in partnership with GETS customer agencies, we will attack the work aggressively throughout the remainder of 2014.
Finally, a quick update on the GETS services integration initiative aimed at enhancing the GETS program. As you'll recall we issued a request for qualified contractors (RFQC) for a multisourcing services integrator (MSI), who would assume the business of GETS process improvement and service delivery coordination. We were pleased to receive responses, and GTA has been evaluating those. We hope to invite bidders to participate in the next round of the procurement. We also are making progress with hosted contact center services and will continue to post information on the Georgia Procurement Registry.
Thank you for your ongoing support.

In This Issue
GTA-hosted summit explores digital enterprise When it comes to social media, we need to talk New website makes state IT policies easier to locate Briefly... (IT Showcase)
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Calvin Rhodes State Chief Information Officer GTA Executive Director

GTA-hosted summit explores digital enterprise
In today's digital era, customers have come to expect access to services nearly 'round the clock. State government cannot exempt itself from that expectation. No shutting down at the end of the workday. No insistence on conducting business in person. That leaves state and local government entities looking to enhance citizen access to services through innovative use of new technology and updated business processes.
How to cultivate a digital enterprise in government became clearer at Monday's GTA-hosted Technology Summit. Attended by 175 Georgia state and local government staff members and vendor representatives, this year's Digital Remodeling for Better Citizen Access event emphasized rethinking the way we do business so we can serve our customers the way they want to be served.
Increasingly, there's a preference among consumers for online services. As keynote speaker David Behen, state of Michigan CIO, pointed out, new technology helps create opportunities for enhancing online service delivery. And calculated integration of that technology with refined business processes can create real traction toward building customercentric government. Mr. Behen sees the potential for reinventing government service delivery to suit digital preferences.
Gartner, Inc. researcher Jerry Mechling, another keynote presenter at the third annual GTA-hosted summit, encouraged a systematic, measured approach to augmenting government services through technology. He advocated applying a learning loop where feedback from previous efforts is used to assess new options, leading to new action toward a desired result. Dr. Mechling suggested this cycle, with repetition, is powerful if not essential in effective coordination of service delivery -- in government, just as in private enterprise.
In breakout sessions throughout the day, summit participants heard from experts on digital enterprise considerations including security and infrastructure needs, new business models and business process design that complements new technology. Speakers representing Accenture, Amazon Web Services, AT&T, Deloitte, EY, HP, IBM, Oracle, Phase2 and Salesforce.com shared information not just for IT professionals, but also for finance and business leaders in attendance.
The technology summit is part of an annual IT strategic planning cycle promoted by GTA. The technology event keys on an IT-related topic named as a priority for Georgia government by participants at an IT strategy summit held each fall and also hosted by GTA. Previous year's technology summits have explored data management and mobile device management for state and local government in Georgia.
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When it comes to social media, we need to talk
In the social media realm, people are talking nonstop and about nearly everything. If state government doesn't participate in the conversation, we miss out on more than just a chance to respond. We overlook an opportunity to interact with the citizens we serve, in a forum where they most assuredly are.
At an April 22nd GOVTalks informational session (third in the series) hosted by GTA, the recommendation to about 50 Georgia agency staff attending was plain: When it comes to social media, we need to talk.
Speakers from GTA's GeorgiaGov Interactive team, along with social media professionals from Georgia agencies and private companies, all agreed. Government can take a cue from companies who've realized the merit in going where their customers are, instead of expecting customers to come to us strictly via traditional channels.
True, state government would be a latecomer, but potential benefits remain for social media outreach. Potential for engaging citizens and customers in an open dialogue. Potential for timely information sharing. Potential for humanizing government entities.
Presenters outlined attributes of different social media channels such as Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest, in addition to Twitter and Facebook. They emphasized setting strategy and understanding your target audience before stepping in. And, they offered examples of effective government use of social media tools, including Facebook pages of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Dunwoody Police Department right here in Atlanta.
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New website makes state IT policies easier to locate
Providing IT policies and standards for state agencies ranks among key responsibilities of the Georgia Technology Authority. Over time, GTA has built a framework of enterprise IT and security policies, standards and guidelines (PSGs) based on IT industry and federal government best practices in security, technology infrastructure and project management. And now, Georgia agencies can locate those PSGs more easily when needed.
A new feature on the GTA website spotlights Georgia government's IT policies, standards and guidelines and allows online searches so agencies can get to exactly what they're looking for. Information is available several ways -- site visitors can use the convenient search function, browse by topic area, follow quick access links, view FAQs or reference the glossary.
Through joint efforts of GTA's Enterprise Governance and Planning (EGAP) and GeorgiaGov Interactive teams, the website also maps PSGs to several best practice frameworks: the IT Governance Institute's Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT), the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), and the Program Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). A mapping to the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) is soon to come.
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Briefly...
GTA received some 30 entries in recent weeks from Georgia state and local agencies for its 2014 Georgia Technology Innovation Showcase. The Showcase recognizes innovative use of technology to improve services to Georgians. Entries selected for recognition will be honored at the Georgia Digital Government Summit, September 18-19 in Atlanta.
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We welcome your comments about service delivery, the state's IT transformation and related topics.
You can submit comments online or call our toll-free number to leave a recorded message.